Shifter Housing Removal & Painting

TexaSky · 07-17-2007, 12:14 AM

After asking several times on the forum for info on removing the shifter housing with no response, I finally just started pulling the dash apart to do it myself. Here are some pix for those who want to give it a try. It does look about a million times better, the way it should look in my opinion, the same color as the waterfall.

There are about 8 screws you have to remove from the bottom of the dash to be able to "peel" the bottom of the dash under the radio/HVAC controls out just enough to pop the shifter housing up. The housing is held in by 8 clips. Also, remember to remove the cupholder first before prying the housing up. It can be pulled out carefully by deploying the cupholder, then gingerly working the forward end of the holder out first, then the aft will loosen up.

A buddy of mine who is awesome with an airgun sprayed 5 coats of yellow GM paint and 4 coats of clear to make a perfect match!

The first picture shows what the framework looks like under the housing.

The second one shows the newly painted housing on my car to show the match.

The third one shows the bottom side of the housing so you can see the clips.

The fourth one shows the bottom of the radio/HVAC stack pulled out a bit, just enough to remove/replace the housing.

The fifth shows how Saturn should've colored the housing in the first place!

cerberus · 07-17-2007, 12:32 AM

This is a real good thread to have around. Lotsa folks have asked for just this. Thanks for putting this together for us. Moving over to tech section so folks can find it in the future.

Wilkyman · 07-17-2007, 03:13 PM

That looks really good, it's funny because when I was driving to work today I was staring at that same part thinking about painting it, small world!

xmicro_Redline · 07-17-2007, 04:52 PM

Real nice Job and a great color match!!

SKY 4 ME · 07-17-2007, 09:24 PM

I agree!!! It looks great. Nice job

**SKYRCKT** · 07-17-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexaSky

After asking several times on the forum for info on removing the shifter housing with no response, I finally just started pulling the dash apart to do it myself. Here are some pix for those who want to give it a try. It does look about a million times better, the way it should look in my opinion, the same color as the waterfall.

There are about 8 screws you have to remove from the bottom of the dash to be able to "peel" the bottom of the dash under the radio/HVAC controls out just enough to pop the shifter housing up. The housing is held in by 8 clips. Also, remember to remove the cupholder first before prying the housing up. It can be pulled out carefully by deploying the cupholder, then gingerly working the forward end of the holder out first, then the aft will loosen up.

A buddy of mine who is awesome with an airgun sprayed 5 coats of yellow GM paint and 4 coats of clear to make a perfect match!

The first picture shows what the framework looks like under the housing.

The second one shows the newly painted housing on my car to show the match.

The third one shows the bottom side of the housing so you can see the clips.

The fourth one shows the bottom of the radio/HVAC stack pulled out a bit, just enough to remove/replace the housing.

The fifth shows how Saturn should've colored the housing in the first place!

Wow, I really like it.

Something else to work on now.

firstpinkever · 07-18-2007, 12:06 AM

That looks great! i love the idea, i have thought about doing it but i have been chicken, well not anymore! hope you don't mind another yellow being so close to you. thanks for the Idea

jayman · 07-18-2007, 08:56 AM

Great idea...you're right...GM should've done it for us

TexaSky · 07-18-2007, 01:59 PM

I definitely don't mind another yellow one doing this...the more the better. I'm sure this looks great on all of the other colors too...well maybe not the silver ones, but the brightness of the yellow is striking, in a good way! Once you sit in your car with it painted yellow, you'll almost be mad that it was silver in the first place.
I remember when I first sat in my car, one of my favorite things about the intial experience was seeing the bright yellow mirrors out of the corners of my eyes. The yellow shifter housing brought back that feeling. It reminds me of some of the old British Leyland roadsters that carried a lot of the exterior color into the interior.

SWTSKY · 10-03-2007, 08:59 AM

I'm in the process of painting my shifter housing along with the engine cover. I needed some help on removing the housing on which I didn't have a clue on where to begin. When finished I'll post some pictures. Anybody else done this since and do you have any pictures?

**Celt03** · 10-03-2007, 12:36 PM

OH YES!!

Another thing to put on the honey-do list for hubby this winter.

**roadsterrage** · 10-03-2007, 01:00 PM

Looks great. Just asked you a bunch of questions, but then went back and reread your post and you'd already answered them. Interested in the durability for those of us with horizontally challenged legs that constantly rub up against the housing.

cerberus · 10-03-2007, 10:20 PM

As we've had this topic come up a few times with requests for this info, by request, we'll sticky this for future reference.

SkyBaby · 10-03-2007, 11:10 PM

Great Job.... Jades will be painted when I get back from KY..... didnt have time after we did her "nails" calipers. SkyBaby

1Man1Sky · 10-03-2007, 11:56 PM

Would you be able to post a pic that includes much of the interior so that we can get a good overall look? I just can't seem to picture it in my head.

SkyBaby · 10-04-2007, 12:14 PM

Was there any prep work in order that it adheres and dont chip.... ? SkyBaby

Hott Jerzey Sky · 10-05-2007, 01:34 PM

Nicely done....great match with the color!

skybright · 10-05-2007, 06:26 PM

Love the way it looks! Nice job.

TexaSky · 10-09-2007, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyBaby

Was there any prep work in order that it adheres and dont chip.... ? SkyBaby

Yes, my buddy said he applied something to etch the paint so that the new paint would stick. I will ask him what it was.

TexaSky · 10-10-2007, 11:04 PM

Upon further review, my buddy says he sanded the housing with really fine grit sandpaper to make sure that the paint he applied would get a good mechanical bond. He also wet sanded before each additional coat of paint. He's pretty hard core! I owe him and his wife a high dollar sushi dinner for his work...darn!

Appygirl · 10-20-2007, 03:33 PM

TexaSky- Thanks so much for this information. I just got my shifter housing removed and painted. Looks AWESOME!!!! I love it.

Thanks to you, we felt confident in removing it ourselves.

07-17-2007, 12:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
TexaSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 87 My Photos: (0)	Shifter Housing Removal & Painting After asking several times on the forum for info on removing the shifter housing with no response, I finally just started pulling the dash apart to do it myself. Here are some pix for those who want to give it a try. It does look about a million times better, the way it should look in my opinion, the same color as the waterfall. There are about 8 screws you have to remove from the bottom of the dash to be able to "peel" the bottom of the dash under the radio/HVAC controls out just enough to pop the shifter housing up. The housing is held in by 8 clips. Also, remember to remove the cupholder first before prying the housing up. It can be pulled out carefully by deploying the cupholder, then gingerly working the forward end of the holder out first, then the aft will loosen up. A buddy of mine who is awesome with an airgun sprayed 5 coats of yellow GM paint and 4 coats of clear to make a perfect match! The first picture shows what the framework looks like under the housing. The second one shows the newly painted housing on my car to show the match. The third one shows the bottom side of the housing so you can see the clips. The fourth one shows the bottom of the radio/HVAC stack pulled out a bit, just enough to remove/replace the housing. The fifth shows how Saturn should've colored the housing in the first place! Attached Thumbnails __________________ TexaSky Yellow 5Spd Polished Wheels KappaSphere SkyShield Kappasphere CAI Invisible Bra on Lights Stubby "B" Antenna Yellow Shifter Housing

07-17-2007, 03:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
Wilkyman Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rochester Hills, MI Posts: 63 My Photos: (0)	That looks really good, it's funny because when I was driving to work today I was staring at that same part thinking about painting it, small world! __________________ 07' White Redline 5 Speed, Spoiler B Series Stubby Custom Black Saturn Badges Lil' Chromies Windrestrictor V2 Red LED 20% Tint around Viper Alarm

07-17-2007, 09:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
SKY 4 ME First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 384 My Photos: (0)	I agree!!! It looks great. Nice job __________________ SKY 4 ME 2008 Red Line Chili Pepper Red / Black/Red Interior Auto Spoiler Chrome Wheels Single Disc Monsoon XM Deposit 3/10/2007 Order number 6/28/2007 Delivered 8/4/2007 MSRP + GM Employee discount UPShield Little Chromies Stubby antenna

07-18-2007, 12:06 AM	#7 (permalink)
firstpinkever Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mansfield,Texas Posts: 323 My Photos: (9)	Awsome That looks great! i love the idea, i have thought about doing it but i have been chicken, well not anymore! hope you don't mind another yellow being so close to you. thanks for the Idea __________________ John and Stacey Precour First Yellow in Texas VIN # 2158 Black interior all options except XM Red Calipers Painted to match Engine Cover with Pearl Red Underbody Neon Lights

07-18-2007, 08:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
jayman First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,701 My Photos: (0)	Great idea...you're right...GM should've done it for us __________________ Silver Graphite '07 : red interior, tint, chrome rims, li'l chromies, chrome wipers, chrome domes, chrome vanity,chrome valve stems, chrome antenna, chrome sack... "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul" C&H RED SOX NATION

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07-17-2007, 12:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
cerberus Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,214 My Photos: (19)	This is a real good thread to have around. Lotsa folks have asked for just this. Thanks for putting this together for us. Moving over to tech section so folks can find it in the future.

07-17-2007, 04:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
xmicro_Redline Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New York Posts: 4,099 My Photos: (1)	Real nice Job and a great color match!!

07-18-2007, 01:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
TexaSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 87 My Photos: (0)	I definitely don't mind another yellow one doing this...the more the better. I'm sure this looks great on all of the other colors too...well maybe not the silver ones, but the brightness of the yellow is striking, in a good way! Once you sit in your car with it painted yellow, you'll almost be mad that it was silver in the first place. I remember when I first sat in my car, one of my favorite things about the intial experience was seeing the bright yellow mirrors out of the corners of my eyes. The yellow shifter housing brought back that feeling. It reminds me of some of the old British Leyland roadsters that carried a lot of the exterior color into the interior. __________________ TexaSky Yellow 5Spd Polished Wheels KappaSphere SkyShield Kappasphere CAI Invisible Bra on Lights Stubby "B" Antenna Yellow Shifter Housing

10-03-2007, 08:59 AM	#10 (permalink)
SWTSKY First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Corinth Tx Posts: 730 My Photos: (4)	I'm in the process of painting my shifter housing along with the engine cover. I needed some help on removing the housing on which I didn't have a clue on where to begin. When finished I'll post some pictures. Anybody else done this since and do you have any pictures? __________________ Chili Pepper Red Premium Trim Package Tan/Black Tinted Windows / Wind Restrictor/ Automatic,LSD, Chili Pepper Red Calipers XM, MP3, 6 Disk, Monsoon Stereo / Stubby Antenna Duel CAI-Fujita Magnaflow Dual Exhaust w/ quad tips Last edited by SWTSKY : 10-03-2007 at 09:01 AM.

10-03-2007, 12:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
Celt03 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,414 My Photos: (6)	OH YES!! Another thing to put on the honey-do list for hubby this winter. __________________ "Saffyre" 2008 Midnight Blue RL/Black/Black Leather / 5-spd w/Spoiler Magnaflow 3" Quad tip / Chrome Wheels / On Star / 6 CD XM Monsoon / Splash Guards / GT Antenna / WindRestrictor V2 www.imsaturn.com/profile/Celt

10-03-2007, 01:00 PM	#12 (permalink)
roadsterrage First 2000 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Memphis Posts: 571 My Photos: (0)	Looks great. Just asked you a bunch of questions, but then went back and reread your post and you'd already answered them. Interested in the durability for those of us with horizontally challenged legs that constantly rub up against the housing. __________________ BanShee Redline, of course midnight blue/tan, 3 pedals or it ain't a sports car,6 disc,XM,alloys not just no, but hell no spoiler deposit 6/7/06 smokin' tires 9/27/06

10-03-2007, 10:20 PM	#13 (permalink)
cerberus Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,214 My Photos: (19)	As we've had this topic come up a few times with requests for this info, by request, we'll sticky this for future reference.

10-03-2007, 11:10 PM	#14 (permalink)
SkyBaby First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere In The SKY! Posts: 6,684 My Photos: (13)	Great Job.... Jades will be painted when I get back from KY..... didnt have time after we did her "nails" calipers. SkyBaby __________________ Whats NOT to Love??? I would much rather stand out in a crowd and be noticed than life just pass me by while I am bitter! www.kappascoasttocoast.com www.kustomkaps.com www.flameball.com

10-03-2007, 11:56 PM	#15 (permalink)
1Man1Sky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 302 My Photos: (0)	Would you be able to post a pic that includes much of the interior so that we can get a good overall look? I just can't seem to picture it in my head. __________________ ' '08 Chili Pepper Red/Black Leather Red Line/Auto Monsoon w/6 Disc Changer Chrome Wheels LSD Add Ons: Lil' Chromies Windrestrictor got sky? Decal Opel GT Antenna Tinted Windows 50% RED LINE Third Brake Light Overlay

10-04-2007, 12:14 PM	#16 (permalink)
SkyBaby First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere In The SKY! Posts: 6,684 My Photos: (13)	Was there any prep work in order that it adheres and dont chip.... ? SkyBaby __________________ Whats NOT to Love??? I would much rather stand out in a crowd and be noticed than life just pass me by while I am bitter! www.kappascoasttocoast.com www.kustomkaps.com www.flameball.com

10-05-2007, 01:34 PM	#17 (permalink)
Hott Jerzey Sky Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 38 My Photos: (0)	Nicely done....great match with the color! __________________ Hott Jerzey Sky Red Line Midnight Blue Jan. 2007

10-05-2007, 06:26 PM	#18 (permalink)
skybright First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Port Coquitlam, Canada Posts: 385 My Photos: (33)	Love the way it looks! Nice job. __________________ Skybright White Red/Black Std, Chrome, CD changer/MP3/Monsoon, XM radio VIN 8034 Garage Sept 13

10-10-2007, 11:04 PM	#20 (permalink)
TexaSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 87 My Photos: (0)	Upon further review, my buddy says he sanded the housing with really fine grit sandpaper to make sure that the paint he applied would get a good mechanical bond. He also wet sanded before each additional coat of paint. He's pretty hard core! I owe him and his wife a high dollar sushi dinner for his work...darn! __________________ TexaSky Yellow 5Spd Polished Wheels KappaSphere SkyShield Kappasphere CAI Invisible Bra on Lights Stubby "B" Antenna Yellow Shifter Housing

10-20-2007, 03:33 PM	#21 (permalink)
Appygirl Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: central, IL Posts: 227 My Photos: (0)	TexaSky- Thanks so much for this information. I just got my shifter housing removed and painted. Looks AWESOME!!!! I love it. Thanks to you, we felt confident in removing it ourselves. __________________ Appygirl Bloomington, IL At The Gap There Be Dragons!!!!! http://www.freewebs.com/solsticeskyatthedragon/